Lament as Worship

For better or worse, this blog has been from the start, mostly a product of life experiences and a response to external forces in my life. Thus, the past month has consisted much about lament. That’s not to be depressing, it’s just the season I found myself in. As I exit this season, this post is aimed to prove that while lament is “sad,” it is anything but depressing (at least, clinically speaking).

My grandmother past away a week ago today and she began her journey towards that day over a month ago. I am convinced that the tears shed, the songs sang, the stories remembered and even the food ate throughout this mourning period are all a very real and powerful expression of worship. 

In fact, the lament is a very special form of worship. It is one that is unique and special to our current state. In the new heaven and new earth there will be no lament. The world as God intended has no room for pain and thus, no need for lament. However, in a world eschatologically stretched between the present “already” and the future “not yet,” our cries and our pains offer a powerful and unique form of communication with the divine. 

The lament was not a peculiar form of worship for the Old Testament poets. It was the poets and prophets who specialized in the lament, and their poems and oracles are our liturgy.

For the psalmists, the lament functioned to voice the legitimate complaints and fears of this life to Yahweh and appeal for his help. The lament is not a sign of faith deficiency, but rather it comes forth from faith. It is a confession of trust, a petition for deliverance, a remembrance of God’s name and covenant and it is a vow to praise Him after. 

This is peculiar to our time because the modern church meets lament with great resistance. “If it is God’s will, who are we to complain?” We offer pithy remarks about Jesus being raised and “better places,” and other half-sincere, solomonic statements to ease the pain of suffering. But even Jesus wept. Even Jesus lamented.  And we believe in better places but it is the lament that gives meaning and confidence of new bodies, new heavens, and new earths. 

As my Old Testament professor said, “We live in between the times, death and pain remain part of our experience,” in these times, “lament is real engagement with God.” It is recognition that Yahweh is worthy of hearing our cries and great enough to do something about them. Thus lament is worship and thus should not be glossed over, swept under the rug, or met with resistance. Rather it should be embraced and encouraged. 

Notes:

1. astrangeinheritance reblogged this from existtheblog
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3. walkinthelight reblogged this from existtheblog and added:

   beautifully written Chet, cheers

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